1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vehicle cleaning equipment, and more particularly to apparatus in which rotary scrubbing devices on overhead arms scrub the vehicle surfaces as relative rotation is established between the array of scrubbing devices and the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle washing apparatus including means for relative rotation between a vehicle and scrubbing devices are known. Examples of some of the prior art include my earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,797,059 issued Mar. 19, 1974 and 4,003,391 issued Jan. 18, 1977, both of which were based upon an original application filed Oct. 12, 1971. That application disclosed a turntable supporting a car and rotating the car as various brushes were applied to various surfaces. The brushes applied to the verticle surfaces of the car were mounted on carriages supported on rails. Separate overhead brushes cleaned the top of the car. An arm-mounted brush on a vertical axis was provided for washing the rear ends of station wagons or the like. A conveyor was provided on the turntable to move the car onto and off the turntable.
In my above mentioned patents, there were cited earlier prior art U.S. patents including turntables for rotating a car in a horizontal plane. These included a Kirkland U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,349; Hay, U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,085; Tatara et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,898; Beranek, U.S. Pat. No. 3,011,501; and Dawson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,079. I believe my above mentioned earlier patents are closer to my present invention, than were any of the prior art references cited in those patents. Yet there has remained a need for simple apparatus capable of adequately cleaning all the surfaces of the car in comparatively short time with friction devices of the bristle type or of a strap or strip-type such as shown in the Fromme U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,441 issued Aug. 15, 1972. The present invention is directed towards meeting that need.